Auto-Pedestrian Accidents Archives

Previous posts here have discussed some of the major elements of claims arising out of car accidents. These tend to be personal injury claims for which the victim requests compensation for various consequences of the crash. The most serious injury claim of all is, of course, wrongful death. When someone dies as the result of another party's negligence, the family would be the ones who may be entitled to compensation. But, what kinds of damages are recoverable in such instances?

There is an old saying that "no good deed goes unpunished." In this rather cynical view, going out of one's way to help someone else is just asking for trouble. While likely not completely true, as with most old adages, one can often find isolated examples that support the principle. Unfortunately for a would-be "good Samaritan" on Interstate 90 in Washington, this old saying turned out to be all too accurate.

Some Seattle residents may think that the city is not very pedestrian friendly. Due to the geographic limitations of the urban center being sandwiched between the sound and the lakes, many road junctions and other interchanges are awkwardly constructed and designed. Further, the growing number of people living in the area has created traffic volume that makes being a pedestrian even more dangerous.

Recently I was contacted by a woman who was hit by a car while she was crossing the street. She wanted to know if I could represent her in a claim for injuries against the driver of the car that hit her. Upon investigation, I learned that the woman had been crossing a busy street mid-block, had passed between two cars that were stopped for traffic, and was hit by another car that was approaching a red light. When I told her that I could not represent her she was shocked. "Don't pedestrians always have the right of way?" she asked. Sadly for her, the answer is no - pedestrians do NOT always have the right of way.

A few weeks ago, we took a look at the Center for Disease Control's (CDC's) statistics for pedestrian accidents nationwide. While those numbers showed that over 4,500 people were killed in the U.S. in pedestrian accidents in 2013, what does this mean for us here in Seattle? Luckily, we can take a look at some statistics compiled by the city's department of transportation (DOT), and see how dangerous it is to walk around Seattle now that the weather is starting to get better.

Summer time is coming, and here in the Pacific Northwest, that means a chance for many residents to get outside and enjoy milder weather after a long winter of being cooped up. Especially in an urban area like Seattle, this involves an increase in the number of people walking the city's streets, either to get from place to place, or just exercise and feel the sun on their faces. Unfortunately, with more pedestrians comes an increased chance of pedestrian-automobile collisions. These can be some of the most harrowing accidents there because of the serious and sometimes fatal injuries that a pedestrian can suffer in such crashes.

Urban areas are notorious for being jam-packed with people and for being abuzz with activity. Downtown Seattle is no exception. The city is always busy with people moving to-and-fro. While this is normally a positive thing, it can lead to collisions between pedestrians and motor-vehicles. Such a thing happened recently in downtown Seattle, and it has left the pedestrian listed in critical condition at Harborview Medical Center.

Seattle's roads are diverse. Cars, trucks and SUVs share the road with pedestrians and bicyclists. Usually this waltz of traffic carries on safely, a symphony that brings goods to stores and people to work and back. But occasionally someone will hit a false note, causing the symphony to temporarily collapse into chaos.

Walking is great exercise. Not only does a person burn calories, but also gets a chance to enjoy the outdoors while slowing down and taking in the world around him or her. But that world can be a dangerous place. One danger for Washington pedestrians is the cars whizzing past, the drivers of those cars often unaware of the pedestrians who share the roads with them.

Seattle roads are not just for cars; walkers use them too. To keep everyone safe, both drivers and walkers should use the following safety tips. When drivers and pedestrians don't, the risk of a pedestrian accident escalates, and with it, the risk of serious, even fatal, consequences increases.

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